Iran parliament increases missile funds in response to US sanctions

Bill mandates government to allocate an additional US$260 million for the 'development of the missile programme'

TEHRAN: Iran's parliament voted on Sunday to allocate US$520 million to develop its missile programme to fight Washington's 'adventurism' and sanctions, and to boost the foreign operations of the country's Revolutionary Guards.

"The Americans should know that this was our first action," said speaker Ali Larijani, after announcing an overwhelming majority vote for a package "to confront terrorist and adventurist actions by the United States in the region".



A total of 240 lawmakers voted for the bill, out of the 244 parliamentarians present. The vote came after fresh US sanctions in July against Iran, targeting Tehran's missile programme.

"The bill is backed by the foreign ministry and the government and is part of measures by the JCPOA supervision committee to confront the recent US Congress law," deputy foreign minister Abbas Araghchi.

He was referring to a 2015 nuclear deal with world powers, known officially as the JCPOA, under which Iran agreed to strict limits on its nuclear programme in exchange for an easing of sanctions.



The bill mandates the government to allocate an additional US$260 million for the "development of the missile programme" and the same amount to the Revolutionary Guards's foreign operations wing, the Quds Force, state news agency IRNA said.

After Larijani announced the vote results, lawmakers shouted: "Death to America."